Tom F

"Right old boy, let's drop off these empties, pick up them loaded ones.......and then we'll head home"

"Trucks!" snorted Sir Handel, "TRUCKS!"

"Yes," his Driver repeated, "Trucks."

Sir Handel jerked forward; "I won't!" he muttered, "so there!" He lurched, bumped, and stopped. His Driver and Fireman got out.

"Told you!" said Sir Handel triumphantly.'

Good morning from Ward Fell Quarry!

1 hour ago, 1722 said:

Tom, I have no words for your work and I'm fairly certain it would be impossible to over-saturate us with such wonderful modelling! 

 

A quick question, if I may. Where do you get the sea moss trees from - I'm most impressed from them and am thinking something similar would work on my planned layout. Thanks.

 

I'm sure I speak for many when I say 'keep posting, whatever it may be!'

Thanks Chris

The sea foam I went with is from gaugemaster. Quite expensive using for the entire tree rather than just branches, but for my autumn period they have worked great.

I wasn't going to post another photo for a bit, but here is one I hadn't shared from yesterday.

No. 2 simmers by the aqueduct, waiting for a loaded of set to come down the incline.

Well, there we have it!

For all intents and purposes, the layout is scenically finished as I've just finished adding the additional pieces of bracken. I'm just waiting on the deluxe materials water for the aqueduct which should be arriving this week.

I'm sort of sad we have reached this point, as I've loved seeing it come to life. I'd had a vision of how I hoped the layout would look, and that has helped to keep my focus throughout. The next stage is working on a way to attach the layout to some foam board fiddle yards. My current thoughts are to use two pieces of 6mm ply to act as the touching faces between the two boards, and use bolts to secure the alignment.

I'll be cooling off from posting as much now. I don't want to over saturate the layout's exposure, and I've stock to be getting on with, in particular No. 1 'Skarloey'. I just need to build up the confidence to tackle making the piston rods, cross heads and motion bracket.

Thanks for all the lovely support. I've thoroughly enjoyed putting this layout together and escaping to this lovely little bit of Awdry's Sodor.

2 hours ago, NHY 581 said:

 

Damn good show. 

Thanks Rob. I do like the depth B&W seems to create. You lose any sense of where the layout starts and stops.

About to go and add some more bracken, but in the mean time. Here is one from this morning, with a little write up:

'We crossed the infant Ben Glas stream via a shallow section, and then began the climb up the hillside. It was steep and tough going through the undergrowth. Moss and bracken were thick in places, with the occasional tributary stream requiring some navigation. This wasn't an issue for my border collie Lass, who bounded on ahead with unwavering enthusiasm.

Finally the hillside gave way to a slate fence and through a gap in the trees we saw the railway. The old Fletcher Jennings locomotive of 1865, No. 2 'Rheneas' was clanking and wheezing about the sidings. The paint work was dirty, with steam leaking from a majority of places. To have struggled up the valley in such a run down condition........

A Gallant Old Engine indeed!'

East Central District of Sodor -1954

Skarloey Railway's No. 3 'Sir Handel' is filled with water at 'Thie Ushtey', before heading down the valley with several loads of slate for export across the island, and beyond.

 On  cold autumn afternoon in 1954, the crew of No. 3 'Sir Handel' quickly get the tank filled at 'Thie Ushtey'. With a biting wind coming down the valley, they do not intend to hang around. 

A couple more shots, added a bit more autumnal ground cover in the form of leaves.

The downed tree trunk, was an inspiration from yesterday. After leaving Abergynolwyn, we noticed a tree had come down across the ravine. 

While I was out yesterday the final batch of seafoam arrived, so I've started adding a scattering around the front of the layout.

It's a case of trying to find a balance of not making the front look bare, but not overdoing to effect photographs of the layout.

So I'm trying to go with gaps in between the trees that allow for nice cameo shots.

A special day all round yesterday!

Just heading out the house (yes it is 4.15 in the morning) as myself and the border collie embark on the closest thing to an adventure on Sodor!

We are heading down to mid wales to go hiking, before travelling on the Talyllyn Railway.

So before I go, here is a shot of No. 3 'Sir Handel' heading back to Crovan's Gate. I must admit I'm getting a bit of a Corris vibe from the shot. 

Last one for today:

'Heading home...'

That's the rest of the fencing added!

Rheneas takes water at 'Thie Ushtey' (I had got my earlier Sudrian translation wrong)

I've kept myself busy today, with some odds and ends on the layout.

Added the water tower's ladder. I hadn't got any rodding on hand to represent the overflow pipe, so I have ordered that today. I've also added a touch of algae wash over the aqueduct trough.

'Four years ago, Bernard Foster moved away to a lovely cottage with his wife in the central district of Sodor. It was a lovely cottage, nestled in a hamlet of similar cottages overlooking Skarloey Lake. Bernard and Maureen befriended a retired parson called Wilbert and his wife Margaret who lived nearby. Although not a railway enthusiast, he did like his morning walks to involve a short wander by the line side of the Skarloey Railway, where Bernard would always enjoy a natter with the crew. He always did like the 'little engines' on our adventures together.'

Miss you everyday Dad x

Bernard Foster 25/09/1939-25/08/2017

58 minutes ago, David jennings said:

Hi Tom

 

just come across your thread - amazing stuff. I zoomed in on the photos and still wasn’t completely convinced Ed they weren’t of real life !! The landscape and trees are just stunning and the railway looks hugely impressive too.

 

Really good stuff.

 

Thanks David for your kind comments.

Tonight I've added some washes over the trunks of some of the newer trees. So I thought I'd do a little 'Railway Series' pose.

Locomotive crisis on the Skarloey Railway in the autumn of 1958.

'Several days earlier, No. 4 'Peter Sam' was involved in an incident at the quarry, with a breakaway of slate wagons on the incline. With No. 4 out of action, and No. 3 derailing yet again near Glennock, newly arrived No. 6 'Duncan' has been rostered to collect some of the last slate wagons to come out of Ward Fell Quarry. No. 6 is proving to have issues on the Skarloey Railway's permanent way, and it has been noticed the locomotive is tending to 'rock 'n' roll'. Things should ease when No. 1 'Skarloey' returns from the overhaul at Gibbon Bro's.

In a matter of weeks the Ward Fell area will be closed off to Skarloey Railway locomotives, will strictly be under the authority of the Ministry of Defence and be rebranded 'RNAD Ward Fell'.'